1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a screen for concealing a patient's identity. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a screen for concealing a patient's identity which the patient can see through but which is nontransparent or semi-transparent to bystanders. Even more particularly, the present invention pertains to a screen for concealing a patient's identity, and which the patient and healthcare providers can see through at close range, but which is nontransparent or semi-transparent to bystanders at a further distance.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Patient privacy has become an increasingly important matter to society. For example, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) places many new privacy requirements upon health insurance companies and health care providers with the goal of protecting patients' privacy. Although the present invention pertains to providing patient privacy by concealing patients' identify, and the privacy provisions in HIPAA pertain to the proper handling of paperwork, HIPAA's mere existence still demonstrates the increased importance that society places on patient privacy and patients' rights.
Hospitals and health care providers have made basic attempts at maintaining patient privacy for many years. For instance, hospitals have used retractable fabric screens in semi-public areas or in multi-patient rooms in an attempt to maintain some level of privacy for each patient. Doctors' offices also typically have separate rooms for treating patients individually. However, these means for protecting patient privacy are directed toward the more obvious situations in which patients may be unclothed or may be discussing highly sensitive matters with their physician or nurse.
But in today's age, people are placing an even greater importance upon patient privacy and rights. Ideally, patients would not even have to share a common waiting room or have it even known to any third party that they even sought medical care. For example, if a patient is spotted by a relative or acquaintance entering or leaving an oncologist's office, the third party may already know or suspect more than the patient would like. Health matters are of the utmost concern in an individual's life, and it is a societal goal to allow each individual total control over the dissemination of any information involving their own health and well-being.
Hospitals are areas of particular concern because they can be very busy and patient privacy is often forced to take a back seat to urgent medical matters. Nonetheless, efforts need to be made to increase or maintain patient privacy as much as reasonably possible.
There does exist in the prior art at least one previous attempt to address this problem in a similar manner as the invention described hereinbelow, namely, U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,259 to Tarara. Tarara discloses a stretcher, or gurney, having a retractable canopy for providing some level of privacy to the patient. The canopy extends upwardly and over the patient's head, and has nontransparent sides and a transparent center portion allowing the healthcare providers to view the patient. However, this device leaves the patient's face completely visible to anyone who is not positioned directly to the side of the patient's head. The patient is clearly visible through the transparent panel to anyone standing near the patient's head. Likewise, the canopy is completely open to any bystanders positioned near or around the patient's body. Therefore, the canopy disclosed by Tarara is not effective at concealing patients' identity.
A similar device is also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,702,010 to Klever. Klever discloses an ambulance cot, or gurney, which includes a retractable shade which folds upwardly and over the patient's face for the purpose of protecting the patient from the elements during inclement weather. This patent issued in 1929, and patient privacy was of little concern at the time. The purpose of this invention was to solely protect the patient from elements like rain, snow, or direct sunlight. Although Klever conceals the patient more than the device in Tarara, it similarly leaves the patient's face completely exposed to any bystanders positioned near the “foot” end of the stretcher.
Thus, there remains a need for a device for providing patient privacy while the patient is in a public or semi-public environment. And in particular, there is a need for a device which conceals the patient's identity while in these settings.
The present invention, as detailed hereinbelow, seeks to improve upon the prior art by providing a screen which is effective at concealing a patient's identity, yet which also allows the patient to view his or her surroundings outwardly through the screen.